A microstructure in which recesses and protrusions are regularly arranged at intervals of tens of nanometers to hundreds of nanometers can be applied, for example, to a semiconductor device, a photonic device, and an anti-reflective film.
When forming such a microstructure, a method of writing a pattern on a resist film by using an electron beam lithography system or an exposure apparatus utilizing extreme ultraviolet (EUV) or ultraviolet light has been adopted. A method of utilizing a self-organization phenomenon of particles or diblock copolymer has been also adopted. The former method incurs high costs due to use of an expensive apparatus. The latter method is a bottom-up method using physical properties of a material, and does not need to use an expensive apparatus. Of the latter method, the pattern formation method utilizing the self-organization phenomenon of particles can use as a material of spherical particles, not only an organic material such as a resist or diblock copolymer, but also an inorganic material such as a metallic material. Accordingly, it is easy to select a material that can achieve a desired etching selectivity in an etching process that is carried out for the subsequent transfer.